MACHINE FOR CUTTING AND FOLDING SHEET MATERIAL

• US 3,773,314 A
• Filed: 12/22/1971
• Issued: 11/20/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Michel Giovannini
• Original Assignee: Michel Giovannini
• Inventors: Giovannini, Michel
• Primary Examiner(s): Michell, Robert W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Oremland, L. R.
• Application Number:
  US05/210,859
• Time in Patent Office: 699 Days
• Field of Search: 270/62-67,73 83/408,416,66,67
• US Class Current: 493/18
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 35/00 Delivering articles from cutting or line-perforating machines; Article or web delivery apparatus incorporating cutting or line-perforating devices, e.g. adhesive tape dispensers cutting or perforating machines or devices in general B26D, B26F
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 45/12 Folding articles or webs with application of pressure to define or form crease lines B65H20/28 takes precedence; pleating, kilting or goffering textile fabrics D06J
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 45/28 Folding in combination with cutting cutting machines B26D

Abstract

A machine for cutting and folding sheet material in a predetermined format including a first section for transversely cutting the sheet material to provide leading and trailing edges therefor, a second section for longitudinally cutting the sheet material, a third section for providing the longitudinally cut sheet material with alternately oriented creases, a fourth section for packing the creased sheet material in an accordianlike strip along the creases, and a fifth section for folding the accordian-like strip twice upon itself to form the predetermined format.

Claims

1. A machine for cutting and folding sheet material to provide a predetermined format having lateral and longitudinal sides comprising a first section receiving the sheet material to be cut and folded including a table for supporting the sheet material and means for cutting the sheet material in a direction transverse to the direction of movement thereof to provide leading and trailing edges therefor;

a second section receiving the transversely cut sheet material from said first section and including cutting means for longitudinally cutting the edges of the sheet material in the direction of movement of the sheet material;

a third section receiving the longitudinally cut sheet material and including means for creasing the longitudinally cut sheet material In a direction parallel to the leading and trailing edges thereof, said creases being oriented in alternately opposite directions and adjacent creases being spaced by a distance to the length of the lateral sides of the format;

a fourth section including a hopper receiving the creased sheet material and folding the creased sheet material along said creases to form an accordian-like strip having a longitudinal dimension aligned with the direction of movement thereof and a first conveyor belt extending transverse to the direction of movement of said material defining the bottom of said hopper; and

a fifth section receiving the accordian-like strip carried by said endless conveyor belt and including a pair of crushing rolls to flatten the accordian-like strip carried by said first conveyor belt and remove air therefrom, a first folding table having an opening therein for receiving the crushed accordianlike strip, a first stop disposed at the end of said first folding table for positioning the crushed accordian-like strip, a first vertical folding blade responsive to contact of the crushed accordian-like strip with said first stop to force the crushed accordian-like strip into said opening in said first folding table, a first pair of take-up rolls disposed beneath said opening in said first folding table for receiving the crushed accordian-like strip after folding by movement of said first folding blade to define a once folded section, a second folding table receiving the once folded section, a second stop disposed at the end of said second folding table for positioning the once folded section, a second vertical folding blade responsive to contact of the once folded section with said second stop to force the once folded section into said opening in said second folding table, a second pair of take-up rolls disposed beneath said opening in said second folding table for receiving the once folded section after folding by movement of said second folding blade to define a twice folded section corresponding to the predetermined format, said first stop and said first folding blade being spaced by a distance equal to twice the length of the longitudinal sides of the format and said second stop and said second folding blade being spaced by a distance equal to the length of the longitudinal sides of the format and a second conveyor belt receiving the twice folded section from said second pair of take-up rolls, said second conveyor belt being disposed beneath said first conveyor belt such that the twice folded section is compressed between said first and second conveyor belts, and storage means receiving the twice folded sections from said first and second conveyor belts.

2. The machine as recited in claim 1 wherein said table in said first section has a longitudinal slot therein, said first section further includes lighting means disposed beneath said table and aligned with said slot, and said transverse cutting means includes a rail extending transversely to the direction of movement of the sheet material, a carriage slidably mounted on said rail, a rotary blade carried by said carriage and control means for rotating said rotary blade and moving said carriage along said rail to transversely cut the sheet material to provide leading and trailing edges therefor.

3. The machine as recited in claim 2 wherein said first section further includes a safety cross-bar disposed above said table and in front of said rotary blade, a horizontal axle disposed transverse to the direction of movement of the sheet material and pivotally mounting said cross-bar, and a microswitch carried by said cross-bar and including a feeler adapted to engage the sheet material supported on said table, said microswitch being adapted to stop said machine when said feeler is not engaged by the sheet material.

4. The machine as recited in claim 3 wherein said second section includes an endless conveyor belt disposed at an angle to the horizontal for receiving the transversely cut sheet material, aNd said longitudinal cutting means includes two spaced circular knives disposed at the upper extremity of said belt to longitudinally cut the edges of the sheet material.

5. The machine as recited in claim 4 wherein said longitudinal cutting means includes a movable carriage mounting one of said circular knives, said carriage being movable transverse to the direction of movement of the sheet material to adjust the spacing between said circular knives.

6. The machine as recited in claim 5 wherein said second section includes a microswitch disposed adjacent said conveyor belt and having a feeler adapted to be engaged by the leading edge of the sheet material to actuate said microswitch and stop movement of said endless conveyor belt whereby the trailing edge of the sheet material may be cut by said transverse cutting means.

7. The machine as recited in claim 1 wherein said third section includes first and second drums rotatable in opposite directions for receiving the longitudinally cut sheet material therebetween, said first and second drums each carrying a marking assembly including a pair of flexible clamping lips and each of said first and second drums including a folding rib extending from the periphery thereof and disposed diametrically opposite to said fold marking assembly, said marking assemblies being arranged such that said folding rib on said one drum is received by said clamping lips of said marking assembly of said second drum and said folding rib of said second drum is received by said clamping lips of said marking assembly of said first drum whereby said longitudinally cut sheet material is inserted within said clamping lips of said folding ribs to provide said creases oriented in alternately opposite directions and said second section includes a microswitch disposed downstream of said longitudinal cutting means to sense the leading edge of the longitudinally cut sheet material prior to entry of the longitudinally cut sheet material between said first and second drums, said microswitch controlling the rotation of said first and second drums.

8. The machine as recited in claim 7 wherein said third section includes gear means interconnecting said first and second drums, a continuously rotating drive shaft, electromagnetic slipping clutch means interconnecting said first drum and said drive shaft, a cam having a notch therein carried by and rotating with said second drum, and a locking roller for engaging said notch to prevent rotation of said first and second drums and movable away from said notch to permit rotation of said first and second drums responsive to actuation of said microswitch.

9. The machine as recited in claim 8 wherein said third section includes a second microswitch mounted downstream of said first and second drums and having a feeler movable by the creased sheet material and responsive to the trailing edge thereof to stop rotation of said first and second drums.